Under the Radar 2014 Draft Prospects: LB Kyle Van Noy, BYU

Van Noy was a tough one to lump under this heading as he isn't one you'd think of as 'under the radar'. That's because most of us have heard of him. He's ranked as the third best pass rushing linebacker, behind Khalil Mack and Anthony Barr (though Dee Ford and Jeremiah Attaochu could also be ahead of him). However, the same things that are being said about Mack-that he could play any linebacker position in any system, and a 4-3 defensive end in a pinch-are being said about Van Noy. At 6'3" and 245 lbs, he's about the same size as the other two. The only thing certain about when he will go in the draft is that it will be after Mack and Barr. Other than that. he's been predicted to go all over the place. I wanted to see why so many people have differing opinions of him.

from: usatoday.com

There are so many good websites that have detailed descriptions of draft prospects. Most include stats from the player's career, and some include all the combine measurables. Bleacherreport.com is one of those. His height and weight are mentioned above, but his other measurables include a 31 5/8" arm length, and 9 5/8" hands. According to people who know these things, those are a bit on the small side. None of his workouts wowed: a 32 1/2" vertical jump, a 9'4" broad jump, and a very average 4.71 40 yard dash. That's the evidence people who believe Van Noy is a second round prospect at best, if not a third or even fourth, point to. His lack of athleticism means his potential is limited, some say. Bleacherreport.com does cite the lack of athleticism as a knock on Van Noy, and they also list his poor man coverage ability. But his list of positives is much longer. By far his best aspect is his instincts. He may not be the fastest player on the field, or even the top ten fastest on the field, but you wouldn't know it by watching his tape. His reaction to the play is so quick that he can usually get a step or two before anyone else reacts. Along with instincts, Van Noy will go for the ball. A few times I saw he went for the sack but saw a better chance to strip the ball. That results in quick turnovers and more chances for his team to score, something that every team would love. Being toted as a 3-4 rushing linebacker, he would obviously need to have good pass rushing moves. Bleacherreport.com says he does, especially his spin move back to the inside gap. He can set the edge in the run game, which would be a necessary skill for an outside linebacker in a 3-4. The last positive I keyed in on was that he has experience at multiple defensive positions. While I doubt anyone would stick him back as a safety, he could comfortable play all linebacker spots in any scheme, and though undersized, could hold his own as an end in a 4-3.

Now let's go to a side that doesn't think Van Noy is so great. The draft profile on nfl.com lists the same strengths and weaknesses that bleacherreport.com does, but adds a few other weaknesses that stood out to me. They say he is a "hit-or-miss run defender", which is not good if you're a linebacker. The best linebackers are often described as tackling machines (see: Kuechly, Luke). He's also stuck with an average motor so they say. That's never a good thing. Their overall assessment is that is a best fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but could probably manage as a Will or Sam linebacker in a 4-3. Nfl.com says he's a 3rd or 4th round pick. Ouch. This profile, however, does mention some of the off-field issues Van Noy has struggled with, which are minor, but they add to an assessment of who he is. I'm not going to put them down here, but here's the link if you'd like to read them: Kyle Van Noy NFL.com Draft Profile.

Obviously I don't agree with that assessment, as I'm writing this piece because I think Van Noy would be a great fit with the Vikings. Hence my next source, a New York Giants blog of all things: Big Blue View on Kyle Van Noy. In Big Blue View, author Invictus XI sifts through all the defensive snaps Van Noy plays in BYU's game against Utah State and grades them in the same manner as ProFootballFocus would, +2 being the highest grade for a play and -2 the lowest. Granted, this was only one game, but Invictus XI comes to the conclusion that pass rushing seems to be Van Noy's weakest skill. His run stopping ability and zone coverage skills grade out much higher. The conclusion? He would be a great 4-3 linebacker!

from: examiner.com

The Vikings could easily and gladly find a place for Van Noy. I don't see him as a middle linebacker. He'd probably be better than Audie Cole, but Cole is a better middle linebacker than any of the other options we have at whatever outside spot Chad Greenway doesn't play. Oddly enough, when reading Van Noy's profile, I believe he sounds a lot like Greenway. They are about the same size, aren't amazing athletes, but they make up for it with awareness and instincts. You might say it would be better to have a different skillset for our other linebacker spot, maybe a better coverage linebacker (Christian Kirksey? Iowa tandem?), but Greenway is getting up there in age. He still has great awareness, but his burst and block shedding ability seem to be diminishing. Van Noy could provide the pop we need on the other side, with his burst and his pass rushing ability, allowing Greenway to drop into coverage a bit more or clean up the mess after the line of scrimmage pile breaks down. Remember what Mike Zimmer turned Vontaze Burfict into last year? Burfict used his crazy burst and block shedding ability to rack up the most tackles in the NFL. I think Van Noy could provide that same level of production, and probably almost immediately.

Now, where to select him? He's not a third or fourth round pick. If he falls to the back half of the second, someone is going to be very lucky. I don't want the Vikings to take Van Noy with the 8th overall pick, but I'm a little afraid that he won't be there when we pick in the second round. If a miracle happens and Mack falls to us, and we don't trade down then, we obviously don't need Mack. I would love for Van Noy to be available in the second when we pick, but he may go at the bottom of the first or the very top of the second. If we take a quarterback with the first pick, we may need to trade pack into the bottom of the first to grab Van Noy. If Spielman doesn't see a cornerback that he really likes in the second, I could see trading up being an option. Only six more days. Six more, agonizing, grueling days.